


The Water Maiden

by xcacelas



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/F, Mermaids, Sirens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 01:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6065343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcacelas/pseuds/xcacelas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Lucy's father catches her sneaking onto his ship he punishes her by assigning her to follow all of Loke’s orders. Loke makes her go through all the hard work that the crew goes on a daily basis. Lucy struggles with her chores, until they arrive at an island where she encounters a strange girl, who can’t speak or has any idea who she is. All she has is a silver pendant with the name, Juvia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Water Maiden

Jude Heartfilia could practically hear his wife shrieking in fear. His ears tingled from the foreboding image.

He was on a voyage to the country, Magnolia. It was another shipping trade with the prime merchant, Makarov. He set sail that morning with his crew, sharing a tearful goodbye with his wife and his pouting daughter.

He was with the quartermaster, Capricorn, studying the map in the main cabin room when his first mate, Loke, barged in dragging in a small, quivering boy.

"Jude, we have a problem," Loke said while the boy tried to pull out of his hold.

Jude looked up, peering at the two. He expected Loke to tell him news about the ship since he was in charge of the equipment and supplies. But something about his expression threw him off. Loke usually had a cool attitude and never hesitated in delivering bad news.

"What's the issue'" Jude asked. Capricorn looked just as curious.

"Uh, well," Loke hesitated. He rubbed the back of his head, his shaggy hair bouncing with his scratches. He looked away, his glasses falling on the edge of his nose. "Well, look closer." He gestured to the boy next to him.

The boy seemed to be dressed in baggy clothing. His linen shirt was way too large for him, his sleeves covered his hands, and his pants dragged down even though a tight belt was wrapped around his waist. He was also wearing a dirty cap that covered the top-half of his face though Jude could see his dusty cheeks and a smear of grease on his chin.

Loke shoved the small boy forward, where the kid lost his step and fell on his knees. His hands immediately flew to his head where he patted his hat, pushing it down, to not let any hair come out.

Yet a small blonde curl poked out from underneath the cap.

Jude recognized those curls anywhere.

Loke helped the kid up as Jude's eyebrows furrowed. Capricorn noticed how tense his body became and how his jaw was clenched.

“Who?” Jude began.

“Well, yes that’s the thing,” Loke paused until he closed his eyes and swiped the hat off of the kid’s head.

A curtain of blonde hair popped out, falling over the girl’s shoulders. Her cheeks burned red as if she had been slapped and her dainty hands started pushing her bangs to the side of her head.

"Lucy," Jude said.

Lucy stopped fixing her hair and shuddered at his voice. Loke helped her stand up and placed a hand on her shoulder to soothe her. It did the opposite affect though and Lucy shrugged him off.

“Lucy,” Jude repeated. “Look at me.”

She slowly lifted up her head, sneaking glances at Capricorn and his stern gaze until finally looking at her father.

She had never seen him with that face before. Not even the time when the Gemini twins destroyed the mast and managed to burn up the sail. At that time, his face had been a dark shade of purple, making his blonde hair stand out even more as it contrasted against his skin. She remembered how his mustache trembled when he scolded the twins.

Yet now, his face seemed impassive with no change in his pallor. It was eerie to see him with such a calm expression. She was used to his shouts, to his rage, to all of his never-ending lectures, but what will he do now?

"Fa- Father," Lucy croaked out.

"Just what do you think you're doing here," Jude snarled.

“I- I- uh, I…”

Turning over to Loke for help, she noticed how he stood rigid, looking just as petrified as her.

“You what,” Jude asked.

Loke gave an audible gulp. He tried hiding behind Lucy till she kicked him in the shin, glaring down at him.

Capricorn merely shook his head as Loke whined and held his throbbing leg.

Lucy frowned at Loke. _This is all your fault._

Honestly, she would've been able to blend in with the crew if Loke hadn't been so nosy. He kept pestering her the minute she stepped on-board and wouldn't believe her claims of being the new cabin boy.

Apparently the clothes she had found piled around the floor belonged to some idiot named Gray Fullbuster. _He_ was supposed to be the new cabin boy but he was forgotten back at the dock, probably frantically searching for his clothes.

Well, if the boy had a stripping habit and left his clothes out for the taking then how was that her fault?

"I wanted to come,” Lucy said and lifted up her chin against her father. “I wanted to come sailing with you and the crew… I miss it.”

Giving out a loud sigh, Jude rubbed his temples while opening the door. “Loke, Capricorn… if you please, let me speak to my daughter. Alone.”

Capricorn nodded and stepped out. Loke scrambled off of the floor and ran out, shutting the door behind him.

Not even a second after, Jude swirled around, towering over Lucy, who returned his glare. He was sick and tired of his daughter being more and more rebellious each day. She had no trouble confronting him and claimed that he was being too strict of a father and not giving her enough freedom. His wife never seemed to have this issue.

“Just what do you think you are doing, sneaking aboard? Don't you know better than that?” Jude started.

Lucy gritted her teeth. She had prepared for this. There was no doubt her disguise would not fool anybody on the ship; they all knew her from birth.

She had hoped she would be able to blend in with them for at least a day. There were always new recruits that joined in every couple of weeks, all of them with their head down and running around the deck while in charge of meager chores like serving the crew and taking care of the gunpowder.

This would make her plan very difficult now that her identity has been revealed. Who’s to say that Jude wouldn’t turn the ship around and drag her home?

Lucy gave in a deep breath, preparing the speech she had rehearsed for days, “Father, I’m an adult now. I should be allowed to make my own choices.”

“You are still my child and you should obey my orders.”

Of course, he would use this approach. 

She raised her fists in front of her as if they were a shield against his words. “That may be so but I’m still allowed to make my own decisions, especially when it comes to the ship. I am a Heartfilia and I have just as much as a right to be here.”

“So you can abandon your mother while she is still sick in bed?”

Lucy stopped, feeling her insides churn. Her arms dropped slowly and she clasped her hands together. “She’s getting better,” Lucy said. “I know she’ll be ok.”

"It is not the first time that her health seemed to improve until her sickness returned. Who's to say it won't again?" Jude sat down at his desk, clasping his hands in front of him.

“Aries…. and Virgo…” Lucy said. “They’re there and they could-”

“Could not offer your mother the comfort that you can as a daughter.”

Lucy ducked her head down. She wasn’t crying but she knew if she looked at his expression she feared she might tear up.

When Aries and Virgo learned of her plan to sneak onto the ship, they did everything they could to help. They helped her plan out her escape by giving ideas on how she could trick the crew. Aries was the one that found the clothes and Virgo gave Lucy some tips on how to handle her father. She even acted out a confrontation with Lucy, using a stoic expression similar to Jude.

Lucy had her doubts but they told her to have faith in her mother's strength. They were there to take care of her and besides, Layla would be proud of her.

If Jude turned the ship around to take her home, how could she face them now? Or her mother? Especially, after what her last conversation with her.

"Are you... are you taking me back?" Lucy asked.

Jude observed his daughter. Over the past week, after he announced his trip, his daughter became distant. She would speak very little to him and avoided eye contact. Her tone was overly polite, the few times that she did speak to him, and she spent most of the week by her mother's bedside. Layla had told him not to worry since Lucy just needed space and it was better that he left her alone. Was she angry because he was leaving his family or because she wasn't coming along?

"No," he said.

Lucy perked up, her eyes wide in shock. "What?"

Jude stood up and walked over to a coat rack, slipping on his jacket. "We already spent more than half a day sailing, I don't want to waste another day since Makarov is expecting his shipment by the end of the week."

He opened the door, letting in a huge blast of wind enter the room. The corners of the map flickered from the wind. If it wasn't for a large book placed at the center of the map, it would have flown off. 

While buttoning up his coat, he held the door open and gestured for Lucy to follow him. "I'll deal with you later, I'm sure Loke probably told half of the crew that you're on-board if they haven't figured it out already."

Lucy stood still. doubt crossing her face. _He's letting me get away with it?_

"For now, go to Aquarius. She'll know what to do with you," he turned around, leaving her alone.

Lucy stumbled as she stepped out of the room.  _Aquarius? Oh great..._

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is honestly my first time writing fanfiction. I would love some tips and critiques on writing.


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